Hi Svend
Yes i have spent a couple of nights with it now. I feel I have only just scratched the surface!
I have to say firstly, IMHO some of Coltrane's music is not an easy listening by any stretch.
I personally love his ballad playing and when he slows down, I find his choice of phrasing and notes utterly compelling.
Both Directions at Once (I have the double Vinyl with untitled versions of takes) is not a ballad LP.
The 'tunes' here are generally material that is a vehicle for some serious blowing from JC., as of course is most in this genre.
Of great Interest here is the inclusion of the studio version of 'Impressions', previously only a live release.
The chemistry of 'the Greatest Quartet in Jazz History' is just breathtaking. The atmosphere Rudy Van Gelder captures
is typical of the great technicians mastery.
The speed of the playing on 'Impressions' is nothing short of amazing. And it goes into turbo overdrive on 'One up, One Down'.
But do not let that put you off, the interplay and artistry is off the scale.
Nature Boy is given the Trio treatment, minus piano, i can only imagine McCoy Tyner was caught short and headed for the bathroom for a number 2.
This trio cut gives the tune a different dimension. I love it. Jimmy Garrison on bass, keeps the whole thing bumping along with solidity and authority. Elvin Jones on drums, rides the Cymbal and underpins the whole proceedings with the delicate rumble of the kit.
The cut 'Slow Blues' is ...well a Slow Blues and as I said earlier feel more connection with this tempo of Coltrane's expression.
But even here, later in the cut, when he feels it, he wigs out and it takes on a different tempo.
The cut 'Villa' (Coltrane a well known fan of the Birmingham team ) is a lovely happy bounce that has Coltrane in mid tempo
blowing and Elvin Jones is very busy filling in.
There are several 'untitled Original' cuts with numbers as names, for example 'untitled Orginal 11386' has Coltrane on soprano
saxophone, and is a real highlight of the session. McCoy piano solo is perfect. Then a brief Drum 'N Bass solo.
The double vinyl deluxe edition has duplicate cuts but different takes, each one different, so yes worth getting.
The sound quality of the session is great, sometimes a little bass heavy but that might be just me. The quality of the Vinyl, superb. The die Cut cover on the Deluxe version, a little underwhelming but it has some lovely metallic embossed type (gotta love a bit of embossing!) I actually prefer the packaging on the single LP edition. And Yes, I have purchased both!
Most 'Lost' or 'Shelved' records by iconic artists featuring multiple outages are generally just that, out takes and one can usually hear in the performances why they were shelved or at least try to work it out. Here it's simply impossible to understand how such stellar material by the greatest Saxophonist in history has remained unissued for so many decades.
A rare thing indeed, a 'Lost' lp that doesn't disappoint in the slightest.
Check it out on your streaming service, but be sure to give it the respect and time it deserves IMHO this is important as i feel it may take several listens to 'get it'. That's not me trying to patronise, it's just Coltrane's music grows and grows with the listener. Personally i'm still trying to get to grips with his Lp 'Giant steps' and well, A love supreme is a life times listening, I feel I may never get to the bottom of it!